Separable weatherproof plug



LQUMMU March-1.4, 1933- J. H. PERONI ET Al.

SEPARABLE WETHERPROOF PLUG Filed May 4, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 1 l/Y g ELlfaaww,

" ATTORNEYS.

March 14, 1933. J. H. PERONI ET AL 1,901,040

SEPARABLE WEATHERPROOF PLUG Filed May 4, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :ELE- 1.5

A y BY r A A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES JOIN' PERONI, OF FBEEPOBT, NEWYORK, ANI) SIDNEY H. ALEXANDER, OI'

ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY BEPABAIBLE WEATHERPROOF PLUG application nea my 4,1931. serial no. 534,974.

This invention relates to electrical appliances and more particularly toa separable plug used for releasably connecting conductor wires to eachother.

In order to releasably connect conductor wires, plugs are usedconsisting of compamon Sections each having contacts to whlch wlres areattached and the contacts of the two sections engage each other when thesections are connected butplugs now in use have been foundunsatisfactory as the contacts to which charged wires are attached areexposed and a short circuit will be formed vif a piece of metal dropsinto a socket or the socket becomes partially or entirely lled withwater when the sections of the plug are separated.

Therefore, one object of the invention 1s to provide a plug soconstructed that contacts in a socket to which power wires are attachedwill be covered and danger of a'short circult eliminated when the cap orcompanion plug Section is detached.

Another object of the invention is to provide the socket with a shieldfor its contacts so mounted that while it will be yieldably held inposition to prevent a short circuit it may be easily moved into positionto permit completion of a circuit when the cap or compamon plug sectionis in place.

Another object of the invention 1s to provide the socket with a shieldwhich is moved to a circuit establishing position by merely the cap intoplace and will return to a shie ding position Immediately uponrep movalof the cap thereby positively insuring the socke proper operation'andmaking manual adjust.- ment unnecessary.

' Another ob'ect of the invention is to provide a plug o this characterwhich is simple in construction and easy to operate.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the plug wit the capseparated from t Figure 2 is a similar view showing the cap applied tothe socket.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the e 3 3 of Figure 2 andshowing the cap in section and the socket in elevation, and

` molding .of the core Figures 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views takenrespectively along the lines 4 4, 5 5 and 6 6 of Figure 2.

This improved plug consists of companion sections and the section 1 maybe referred to as a socket and the section 2 as a cap for the socket.The socket or shell 1 is formed of molded insulating material and has achamber 3 extending axially through the same. At its inner end thechamber is extended to form avseat 4 for a coiled spring 5. The otherend of this spring engages in a seat 6 formed at the inner end of a coreor plunger 7 formed of insulating material and the spring serves toyieldably hold the core in the extended position shown in Figure 1 withits outer end bearing against an abutment ring or collar 8 which isthreaded into the pocket 9 formed by enlarging the outer end of thechamber 3. By this arrangement, the core will be retained in the chamberfor sliding movement therein but be withdrawn when the ring 8 isremoved.

In recesses 10 and 11 formed in the walls of the socket 1 are disposedresilient contacts 12 and 13 each of which is substantially U- shapedand extends circumferentially of the socket as shown in Figures 4 and 5.These contacts are set in place during molding of the socket and haveattached to their outer arms power wires 14 which extend longitudinallythroughthe socket and out at its lower or rear end, and obviously, thepower connections may also be of a detachable type.

To. insure positive alignment of the plunger.I plus,

22 with its coacting socket within the insd7 are provided on the face ofthe plunger a a This and 5.

The core 7 carries Vcontacts 15 and 16 which are also Ushapedand are setin place during with a portion of the core their arms as shown at 17.

eature is clearly shown in Figures 4 extending between These contactsare opposite sides of the core but one is closer to the inner end of thecore than the other and by comparing Figures 1 and` 2 it willl be seenthat the contacts 15 and 16 have such relation to the contacts 12 and 13that when 1 ted to operate within channels 7 ".y

exposed at diametrica-lly' the core is in the extended position shown inFigure l it will serve as a shield to prevent water or a piece of metalwhich may enter the core from forming a short circuit between thecontacts 12 and 13 whereas when the core is forced inwardly against theaction of the spring 5 the contacts 15 and 16 may have engagement withthe contacts 12 and 13 `respectively.

The plug section or cap 2 which is also formed of insulating materialhas an annular flange or' wall 17 to fit snuglyg about the socket 1 andhas pins 18 to engage in bayonet slots 19 formed in the socket andsecurely and releasably hold the cap in place. A gasket 20 seated in arecess 21 formed in the cap serves to form a tight joint and excludewater when the cap is in place. From the center of the cap extends anarm 22 which passes through the opening 23 of the collar 8 into the coreand forces the core to the position shown in Figure 2 when the cap is inplace. Therefore, the contacts 15 and 16 will be moved into engagementwith the contacts 12 and 13 and since the contacts 24 and 25 carried bythe arm 22 bear against the contacts 15 and 16 communication will beestablished between the power wires 14 and the wires 26 which extendthrough the cap and its arm and have their inner ends anchored to thecontacts 24 and 25.

By having the plug constructed as shown in the drawings and describedabove all danger of a short circuit taking place when the cap isdetached is eliminated as the core immediately moves to a shieldingposition but as soon as the cap is applied a connection will beestablished between the wires 14 and 26 and current may flow through thewires 26 to energize an appropriate electric appliance or motor to whichthe wires 26 lead.

It should also be noted that when the cap is applied to the casing andthe shield moved to a circuit closing position, all of the contactscarried by the cap, shield and casing will be enclosed and if sparks areformed by arcing during application of or removal of the cap, thesesparks will be confined within the plug and fire hazards due to dangerof gases being ignited will be eliminated. Therefore, the plug can besafely used in a projecting room or booth of a moving picture Y theatreor other places where inflammable gases are liable to be present withoutdanger of lire or explosions taking place.

From the foregoing description of the construction of our improvedinvention, the operation thereof and the method of applying the same touse will be readily understood. It will be seen that we have provided asimple, inexpensive and efficient means for carrying outthe objects ofthe invention. While we have particularly described the elements bestadapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that variouschanges in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction maybe resorted to, without departing from the spirit or sacrihcing any ofthe principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A separable weatherproof plug comprising a socket formed with achamber open at one end, contacts embedded in said socket and engaged byconductors and having portions exposed through the wall of the chamberin spaced relation to the bottom thereof, a shield movably mounted insaid chamber and guarding said contacts h'om water and foreign elements,a cap detachably applied to the open end of the socket and having aportion extending into said chamber and engaging said shield to move theshield out of its normal position, said extension carrying contactsengaged by conductors and the shield having contacts exposed throughside portions thereof and engaged by the contacts of the extension andmoved into engagement with the contacts of the socket when the shield ismoved to its adjusted position.

2. A separable weatherproof plug comprising a socket of insulationformed with a chamber open at one end, a core of insulation slidable insaid socket and yieldably held against inward movement, an abutment ringof insulation in the outer end of the chamber to limit outward movementof the core, a de tachable cap of insulation tting about the open end ofsaid socket to entirely enclose thev same when applied to the socket andhaving an arm extending through said ring into said socket and engagingsaid core to move the core inwardly, said socket having spaced contactsmounted therein and the core carrying contacts spaced from the contactsof the socket when the core is in its normal position and engaging thecontacts of the socket when the core is moved inwardly, and contactscarried by said arm to engage the contacts of said core when the cap -isapplied to the socket.

.3. A. separable weatherproof plug comprising a socket formed with achamber open at one end, a core slidable in said socket and yieldablyheld against inward movement,

the core is in its normal position and engaging the contacts of thesocket when the core is moved inwardly, said contacts being resilientand each U-shaped and extending circumferentially of the socket with onearm embedded and serving to hold the contacts in place and its other armlexposed for frictional engagement with an exposed arm of a cooperatingcontact when the core is moved inwardly, and contacts carried by saidarm and extending circumferentially about the same to insure engagementwith the contacts of said core when the cap is applied to the socket andturned into interlocking engagement with the same.

4. A separable weatherproof plug, comprising a socketformed with a-chamber open at one end, a core slidable in said socket and yieldablyheld against inward movement, a. cap detachably applied to the openendof said socket and having an arm extending into said socket and engagingsaid core to move the core inwardly, said socket having contacts mountedtherein and the core carrying contacts spaced from the contacts of thesocket when the core is in its normal position and engaging the contactsof the socket when the core is moved inwardly, and contacts carried bysaid arm and extending circumferentially about the arm wherebyengagement of the contacts of the arm and core will be assured when thecap is applied to the socket.

5. A separable weather root1 plug comprising a socket open at its rontend and a removable cap for the o en end thereof, said socket having ashell dening a chamber open at its outer end and an ann'ular collarremovably mounted in the optn end portion of the chamber andconstituting an abutment formed with' a central passage, a core slidablelongitudinally in said chamber and yield- 'ably held in an extendedposition in engagement with said collar, the core being formed with alongitudinally extending pocket open at its outer end and alignedwiththe passage of said collar contacts carried by the shell r wardmovement,

and core and disposed out of engagement with each other when the core isin its extended'position, the core when extended serving to shield thecontactsof said shell from engagement by Water or a foreign substanceaccidentally dro ped intothe pocket of the core, said cap aving an armto extend through the passage of said collar and enter the pocket of thecore and move the core to a retracted position for engagement of thecontacts of the core and shell with each other when the cap is applied,said arm having contacts to engage the contacts of the core andestablish communication between conductor wires secured to contacts ofthe shell and arm.

6. A separable weatherproof plug comprising a shell having a chamberextending longitudinally therein, the outer end of said chamber beingenlarged to form a'pocket having threaded walls, into said pocket, saidchamber and an abutment ring screwed a core' slidably secured inyieldably held against inand held from rotating in said chamber by achannel and pin, contacts in said shell having portions exposed in thechamber, conductors extending through said shell and anchored to saidcontacts, contacts carried by said core to engage the contacts of theshell when the core is moved inwardly, the core when in engagement withsaid collar serving as a shield for the contacts of the shell and havingits contacts spaced therefrom, a cap for the front end of said shelldetachably engaged therewith and having an arm to extend through thecollar into the core and move the core inwardly to a retracted positionand dispose its contacts in engagement with contacts of the shell, andcontacts carried by said arm havingconductor wires anchored to them andhaving engagement with contacts of the core when the cap is in place.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa-

